IGA!!!!!

[texaskdog]

Why did they gate that beautiful bridge

[US71]

That's when you go to a search engine and look for "What does IGA stand for" or something similar.

Independent Grocers Alliance

[Rothman]

That's when you go to a search engine and look for "What does IGA stand for" or something similar.

I was about to say that the business is much better known as IGA rather than what it actually stands for.  I would bet the majority of customers would get the actual name incorrect or not know it is an abbreviation at all.

[Nacho]

To be honest I don't think of IGA as particularly cool. I mostly just think of it as a small town grocer or, if anything, expensive and with a poor selection based on my shopping experiences there.

Growing up in Bloomington, Indiana I believe there were two in town: Cascades IGA on the North Side and Highland Village IGA on the West Side. Our family rarely had occasion to stop at the former and AFAIK never at the latter. Both are long gone now. The Cascades IGA became a Save-a-Lot which has since closed and I'm not even sure exactly where the Highland Village IGA was or what might have become of the building.

Now about the only time I find myself in an IGA is when I visit my in-laws in Huntingburg, Indiana at a location that's a former Buehler's Buy Low (and still referred to as Buehler's by many locals). Even then it seems like most people do the bulk of their shopping at the Walmart in Jasper while the IGA is relegated to quick trips to pick up a couple things. It was a similar story when I lived in Oberlin, Ohio. People might pick up a few things at the local IGA because it was convenient, but it seemed like most did the bulk of their shopping at the Walmart on the edge of town (or went to the Cleveland suburbs to shop).

[LM117]

In my hometown of Fremont, NC the local store, Joyner's, used to be part of IGA. When it became IGA, I don't know, but it was one when we first moved there in July 1995 when I was 6. The store and IGA parted ways in the early 2000's and Joyner's became part of Galaxy, which didn't last very long before becoming part of Great Valu. Now, Joyner's isn't associated with anybody, despite what Google Maps says.

The owner, John Joyner, had a brother (Cliff) that ran a second store in Nashville but Cliff closed that store over 10 years ago. Joyner's is as you'd expect: dirty, run-down and overpriced with not much selection with half the products past the expiration date. Whether it was IGA, Galaxy, Great Valu or bumfuck, it was the same inside out.

John is a real cheapskate. He's the real-life version of Mr. Krabs.

[LM117]

There are several 'Carlie C's IGA' stores around here.  Back in Lenoir there was Fairvalue that sold IGA branded stuff, but they don't have IGA in the store name anywhere.

Carlie C's is pretty decent. I used to go to the one in Goldsboro often when I lived there. It moved into former Winn-Dixie building on Wayne Memorial Drive.